Archive for April, 2009
Would You Buy A New Dodge Ram Pickup Today?
Posted on 30. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Unable to meet its financial obligations, Chrysler is declaring a Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize its debts and restructure the company in a partnership with Fiat.
These moves don’t change the fact that the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 is one of the newest pickup trucks in the market with a powerful 390-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 Hemi engine, up-to-date refined interior and the best ride quality of any unloaded half-ton. The 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickups have time-tested 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engines under their hoods. The federal government has said it will stand behind the Ram’s factory warranty.
So, the question is, if you were going to buy a brand new pickup truck today, would you buy a Dodge Ram?
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Updated: Chrysler to Enter Bankruptcy
Posted on 30. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Update #5 April-30-2009 02:49 PDT:
Chrysler will idle most of its manufacturing plants during its bankruptcy restructuring. The move is likely to put added stress on already struggling auto suppliers. Some of the suppliers could be forced to declare bankruptcy themselves in an outward-rippling BK chain-reaction.
Chrysler dealers are also going to struggle more – particularly small and marginal ones. A bankruptcy judge assigned to the case could terminate Chrysler's dealer contracts that had been protected by business franchise laws, forcing some to close their doors.
At the end of Chrysler's bankruptcy, there are likely to be far fewer Chrysler dealers.
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Update #4 April-30-2009 09:33 PDT:
Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli will step aside after the bankruptcy proceedings have been completed.
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Update #3 April-30-2009 09:30 PDT:
President Obama just finished speaking about Chrysler. The company will file for bankruptcy to start a court-governed restructuring that's expected to take 30 to 60 days.
The federal government will continue to stand behind Chrysler's new vehicle warranties and will provide up to an additional $8 billion in aid until Chrysler can finalize its partnership with with Fiat. GMAC has agreed to finance new Chrysler vehicle sales.
A new Fiat/Chrysler managed company will emerge from the bankruptcy proceedings.
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Update #2 April-30-2009 07:35 PDT:
There are numerous reports that negotiations between Chrysler and its creditors broke down over night. Chrysler is moving forward filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to settle its financial obligations in court. The White House is expected to make the announcement today when President Obama speaks about the government's next steps aiding Chrysler and GM.
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Update #1 April-29-2009 15:02 PDT:
The Washington Post is reporting that Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli will be replaced by Fiat executive management under the Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan.
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Bloomberg is reporting that President Barack Obama is expected to announce tomorrow that Chrysler will enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy before signing an alliance with Italian automaker Fiat. Under the deal, Chrysler's most valuable assets would be sold to a new “entity.” Fiat is expected to take a 20 percent ownership stake in Chrysler, a union retiree health-care trust fund would own 55 percent, and the rest of the company would be owned by the U.S. government.
Still no word whether the Dodge Ram 1500 will be renamed the Ram Millecinquecento.
[Source: Bloomberg, The Washington Post]
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The Top 10 Most Honorable Japanese Pickups
Posted on 30. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Whether you're a dedicated domestic loyalist, a fan of import trucks or an impartial buyer looking for the best rig for the money, there's no denying that Japanese pickups have had an ever-lasting impact on the American truck market.
Here's a look at the Top 10 Japanese pickups that, for better or worse, influenced and paved the way for the import and Detroit-built trucks that followed. For that, we honor them.
No. 10: Honda Ridgeline
Love it or hate it (there’s no in-between), the Honda Ridgeline did what Japanese pickups have consistently done over the years: Break new ground in terms of form and functionality.
The midsize, unibody Ridgeline came to market in 2005 with controversial slab-sided lunar-lander looks and all-wheel drive. It did away with conventional leaf springs in favor of an independent rear suspension that gave it great ride comfort and enough room for an in-bed lockable trunk – the first in a pickup. The Ridgeline also featured a dual-action tailgate that folded down or off to the side, like a door, to allow unimpeded access to the cargo box.
No. 9: Toyota Corona Pickup
Toyota isn’t known for its car-based pickups in the U.S., but a few of its Corona utes found their way from Japan to Hawaii in the 1960s. There, they gained a reputation among American servicemen stationed in the Pacific as cheap but tough and versatile little runabouts.
The Corona was equipped with Toyota’s 2R four-cylinder 1.5-liter engine, rated at 74 horsepower, and a four-speed manual transmission.
No. 8: Mazda Rotary Engine Pickup
In the 1970s, a pickup with a piston-less engine was a completely foreign concept to American truck buyers raised on eight-cylinder domestic trucks. Buyers were just getting used to four-cylinder pickups, thanks to the gas crisis hitting their wallets. Mazda surprised everyone when it introduced the Rotary Engine Pickup.
The Mazda REPU sold in the U.S. from 1974-77 was based on Mazda’s popular B-Series line of small trucks. The REPU featured a two-rotor, 1.3-liter Wankel engine rated at 110 hp and paired with a four- or five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission. When other pickups were running out of steam at 5,000 rpm, the REPU was just getting warmed up; it could hit well over 7,000 rpm. Combined with a super-short 4.63 final drive ratio and gobs of torque, the REPU was the street-performance pickup of its day, yet it could haul up to 1,400 pounds of payload.
At about 16 mpg, the REPU wasn’t as fuel-efficient as other trucks in its segment, and Mazda discontinued the truck when the gas crisis killed sales. Only about 15,000 were built and sold.
No. 7: Toyota Stout
The first true truck Toyota sold in the U.S. was the 1964 Stout. It was larger than the Datsun 320 pickup it competed against, but its bigger dimensions handicapped its 85-hp, 1.9-liter four-cylinder pushrod engine. It didn’t help that it wasn’t stylish-looking either.
Its successor, the Toyota HiLux, would gain a reputation for being faster and stronger, but the Stout was the first step Toyota took toward making the best-selling small truck in the U.S.
No. 6: Toyota T100
Just as the Stout was the precursor to Toyota’s success in making tough and reliable small trucks, the Toyota T100 was the company’s first step toward building a full-size pickup. Unfortunately, it was also plagued by many of the same market challenges the Stout had failed to overcome decades earlier.
The T100 struggled even before the first truck was built. The idea was caught in a tug-of-war between Japanese executives who thought building a full-size truck was a huge risk and American staff who believed they needed an entry in this critical vehicle segment. The result was a compromised pickup that was smaller than half-tons from Chrysler, Ford and GM, and was only available with a V-6 at a time when American full-size-truck buyers wanted V-8s. It was also relatively expensive, imported from Japan and subject to the 25 percent “chicken tax” on foreign-built pickups.
The 1993 Toyota T100 was only available in a regular cab version that could seat three people. Its 150-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 was panned for its weak acceleration and lack of power. Toyota tried to respond to its critics and lack of buyers by adding an extended cab version in 1995, but it never climbed above 38,000 sales. Still, the T100 pointed the way later trucks from Nissan and Toyota would follow – full-size and built in the U.S.A.
No. 5: Subaru Brat
Sales of domestic coupe-utility pickups, like the Ford Ranchero and Chevrolet El Camino, were just starting to slip when Subaru’s Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter went on sale in 1977. The car-based Brat was built for people who wanted to mix their active lifestyles with fuel-efficient hauling. It featured part-time four-wheel drive that could be shifted between two- and four-wheel drive on the fly. It also featured iconic backward-facing seats behind its regular cab that allowed two passengers to experience the same ride as the cargo.
The Brat’s four-cylinder, horizontally opposed 1.6-liter engine was rated at 67 hp and was only available with a four-speed manual transmission.
Former President Ronald Reagan owned a 1978 Brat that he used to tend to his ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif. You can't get more red-blooded American than the Gipper.
No. 4: Nissan Hardbody
The Nissan Hardbody was Nissan’s sixth-generation pickup sold in the U.S. The Hardbody was the successor to the Datsun 720, and it became well-known for its tough truck styling and dependability.
The Hardbody went on sale in 1986 and was one of Nissan’s best-selling products, averaging 100,000-plus sales annually during its run. The Hardbody was also one of Nissan’s first pickups to be built in the U.S., which allowed it to avoid the so-called “chicken tax” that added a 25 percent tariff to pickups imported from Japan and other countries.
No. 3: Nissan Titan
Nissan became the first Japanese automaker to build a truly competitive full-size pickup when it introduced the 2004 Nissan Titan.
The Titan met about 80 percent of half-ton buyers’ needs with its 300-hp, 5.6-liter V-8, an advanced five-speed automatic transmission and a choice of extended cab or crew cab configurations. It quickly gained a loyal following, but later years' sales were hampered by reliability issues with early trucks.
No. 2: Fourth Generation Toyota Truck / HiLux
The Toyota truck that really cemented Toyota’s spot in the hearts and minds of American small-truck buyers was the fourth-generation HiLux — or simply the Toyota Truck, as it was called in the U.S.
The 1984-88 Toyota Truck and its famed 2.4-liter four-cylinder 22R and 22R-E engines gained untarnished reputations for reliability and durability at an inexpensive price. With aftermarket wheels and a light bar, the Toyota Truck was lusted after by guys who saw Marty McFly drive away in one in “Back to the Future.”
Toyota still lives off the goodwill the Toyota Truck generated for the brand.
No. 1: Datsun Pickup
Nissan was the first Japanese automaker to sell a pickup in the U.S., at a time when the roads were filled with big American cars and trucks. V-8 engines were the norm, and the worth of a car was often measured by the size of its tailfins.
Onto this scene emerged the tiny Datsun 1000 compact pickup — the first truck of its kind. Although the Datsun 1000 only featured a 37-hp, 1.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a quarter-ton load capacity, it was a precursor of better things to come. In 1960, its engine size increased to 1.2 liters, and its horsepower nearly doubled to 60.
A new Datsun 320 pickup hit American shores in 1961, but it was the introduction of the Datsun 520 pickup in 1965 that led to a sales jump of then-historic proportions, from a few hundred units per year to more than 15,000. In its first year, the Datsun 520 pickup became the top-selling imported pickup in the United States — a title the company held onto for more than a decade.
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Review: 2009 Carlsson Smart ForTwo
Posted on 29. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Per Wikipedia, the Marxist theory of False Consciousness claims, “material processes in capitalist society are misleading to the proletariat.” Trabants aside, it’s pretty clear that the founders of Communism would love today’s Smart ForTwo. It’s the one-dimensional vehicle that denies its occupants the luxury of time, space and value. But it’ll pop eyeballs like Gisele Bündchen in a Target. It didn’t hurt that my tester had the blessings of noted Mercedes tuner, Carlsson Autotechnik. Too bad it didn’t help.
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Toyota Investigating 2000-01 Tundra Pickups With Rusty Frames
Posted on 29. Apr, 2009 by admin.
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Photo: Toyota
Despite an arctic-inspired name, certain Toyota Tundra full-size pickups may have problems withstanding harsh winter climates. Toyota is investigating reports of frame rust problems in 2000 and 2001 Tundras similar to those that caused the Japanese auto giant to extend warranties, buy back entire trucks, or repair or replace severely rusted frames in its 1995-2000 and 2001-04 Toyota Tacoma midsize pickups last year.
We contacted Toyota after reading a story from Boston television station WCVB about Tundra owners with frames so badly corroded that some trucks might not be considered fit for work or resale.
“At this stage, we’re trying to grasp the situation,” said Brian Lyons, Toyota’s Safety and Quality communications manager. “We don’t know whether we have an issue with Tundra or not.”
But 2000 Toyota Tundra owner Tim Gatzke says he knows.
“I can only drive my truck about two or three miles because the power steering fluid leaks out,” Gatzke said. “That’s because the steering rack behind the front part of the frame is so corroded that it’s broken away from the frame and the seal on the rack is leaking fluid. One of the rear leaf springs is broken, too.”
Photo: 2000 Toyota Tundra Owner Tim Gatzke
Gatzke emailed us underbody pictures of his Tundra pickup that show severe rust damage.
Other Tundra owners have filed similar complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, where more than two dozen corrosion claims about 2000 and 2001 Tundra frames are on record.
According to Lyons, 1995-2004 Tacoma pickups and 2000-01 Tundras shared the same frame supplier: Toledo, Ohio-based Dana Holding Corporation. In investigating the Tacoma’s rust complaints, Toyota discovered that Dana hadn’t properly prepped Tacoma frames to resist corrosion before they were shipped to Toyota’s NUMMI manufacturing plant, where the Tacoma is assembled.
“Because of the Tacoma, we are taking a look at other vehicles of similar make and production elements. This includes the Tundra,” Lyons said. “[Dana] used the same rust treatment [for the Tacoma and Tundra] during manufacturing.”
2000 was the Toyota Tundra’s inaugural model year. It was introduced as a replacement for the earlier Toyota T100 pickup. The first trucks were built in 1999. In 2000, 100,455 were sold, and another 108,863 were sold in 2001.
Most rust-damaged Tundras have been reported in what Toyota defines as severe cold-weather states, like Massachusetts, where brutal winter road conditions can take their toll on under-protected metal.
For now, a team of Toyota engineers and technicians out in the field is inspecting reports of rusted Tundras as they’re flagged by Toyota dealers or Toyota’s national Customer Experience Center. Toyota has yet to send out a formal letter about the issue to its dealers or to Tundra owners, like it did for the Tacoma in 2008.
Photo: 2000 Toyota Tundra Owner Tim Gatzke
“We need to look at each vehicle and understand its history — where it’s been driven and how it’s been driven,” Lyons said. “It’s a little complicated because the warranty on these 2000-01 vehicles has run out. We can’t just warranty the frame. We have to deal with them on a case-by-case basis.”
Lyons says Toyota is still trying to figure out how it will support customers complaining about these vehicles, but part of Toyota’s short-term response could be paying for repairs even though the trucks are well past their factory warranty periods.
Over the long term, if the situation warrants, Toyota could take similar blanket action with the Tundra as it did with the Tacoma.
Lyons says 2000-01 Toyota Tundra owners with questions or trucks showing frame rust problems should call Toyota’s Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
[Source: WCVB Channel 5, Boston via TundraHeadquarters.com]
Developing…
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Truck Trend’s Half-Ton Work Truck Roundup
Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by admin.
The new truck spotlight is often focused on the biggest, most capable or special edition pickups introduced each year. We often overlook entry-level and base model work trucks that make up the backbone of contractor and commercial fleet sales. These trucks soldier on every day doing some of the toughest tasks with mid-range V-8 or small six-cylinder engines and few fancy features. Vinyl seats and AM/FM stereo are as fancy as they get.
The good folks at Truck Trend have cataloged the latest group of reasonably-priced “Working-Class Heroes,” with detailed summaries of hard-working half-ton rigs from Chrysler, Ford, GM, Nissan and Toyota. Check it out!
[Source: Truck Trend]
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Review: 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP
Posted on 27. Apr, 2009 by admin.
This site is not generally known as a fan of GM’s cars. And yet TTAC has lavished much love upon Pontiac’s thunder from down under: the G8 GT. The general line: if the 361-horsepower V8 version is magic, the 415-horsepower GXP should be an automotive miracle. Especially as the GXP offers the option of a manual gearbox. So, did Pontiac save its best car ever for last?
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Review: 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, Take Two
Posted on 27. Apr, 2009 by admin.
First impressions can be misleading. Maybe it’s the new car smell. Or the hallucinatory effects of automotive anticipation. But there are times when a thrilling first date can turn into the marriage from hell. That’s why I’m all in favor of pre-purchase rentals and. . . press cars. Yes, carmakers’ fleetmobiles are often pampered ringers. But a week with a car is an excellent way to decide if it deserves a major portion of your/my hard-earned money and ongoing patronage. Quite often, I’ll find that my initial perceptions weren’t quite on target. After sojourning with a Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, I can report that first impressions last.
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Review: 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Posted on 24. Apr, 2009 by admin.
In my recent review of the 2010 Mustang GT, I suggested that only a slight lack of power vis-à-vis the competition kept the revised pony from five-star status. The new “Shelby”— air-quoted because the car is really a product of the dedicated men and women of Ford’s unsung SVT division— GT500 is a sharp riposte to that concern. At approximately forty-eight thousand dollars, it’s the only 540-horsepower car available under fifty grand. Or sixty. Or seventy. Or eighty. Or ninety. In fact, if the embattled Viper doesn’t show up in showrooms for 2010, it will be the only car for sale in the country with this kind of power under… the Corvette ZR-1, which costs nearly three times as much. Ah, but is the uber-Stang really worth the premium over the the GT?
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Review: 2010 Lincoln Navigator L
Posted on 21. Apr, 2009 by admin.
As a recent family reunion proved, there are times when nothing less than a Lincoln Navigator L will do. In theory: I relied on inferior modes of transportation during my time of need, and the little voice in my head never stopped reminding me of that fact. What wouldn’t I do for a fully independent suspension with air ride, three rows of seating and a suitcase swallowing 42.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row? Yes, this vehicle is everything that’s wrong with America. It’s the rolling embodiment of Wall Street greed and “easy credit” arrogance. But the guys getting bailout dollars and megabuck bonuses can afford a fleet of Navigators: I just want one, dammit!
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